The Weather Channel Makes Interns Work In 'Tornado'

Interns often are asked to do menial work. And the more "glamorous" the industry, often the more demeaning the work given to interns. A Cosmopolitan magazine intern, for instance, claimed she was forced to sit in a closet all day, ignored by the staffers until they needed her to photocopy (and she wasn't paid a dime).

But the Weather Channel should win some kind of award for the most unusual treatment of interns. As part of their "Tornado Week" promotion on Twitter, the company is making sure interns get blown over by a simulated tornado on live camera. These interns take turns sitting in an office surrounded by electric fans, and the more tweets they get, the stronger the "tornado" rages. They're also rewarded with CARE Packages every time they reach a certain number of twitter mentions. (You can watch it below.)

However, they aren't allowed to blow off their work as they sit at their desks. Wrapped in scarves and hoodies, they continue on with their tasks as if they weren't sitting in the middle of a storm. But don't worry, as @TornadoWeek tweeted, "No interns were harmed in the making of this in office tornado."

It's not known whether Weather Channel internships are paid. However, along with the publicity, the interns do get the opportunity to hang out with correspondents which, we hope, they will use to network for actual jobs.